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Marsden

@marsdennz.bsky.social
84 followers 64 following 262 posts

He/Him, Webdev from Ōtautahi, Aotearoa (Christchurch, New Zealand). Interested in #SocialIssues, #BoardGaming and #TabletopRoleplaying.

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Reposted by Marsden
CEO Johnny Cans @oldmatecans.bsky.social · 14h
This is going to make those who do not, and do not want to, understand the water infrastructure deficit - and were not given an explanation that prices rises were fundamental to Government water reform - extremely angry. But Dr Small has the clarity of not needing votes www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
rnz.co.nz
Commerce Commission confirms it will not step in to keep Wellington water bills down
The Commerce Commission says it won't step in to keep water bills down for Wellingtonians right now.
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Kevin Pluck @kevpluck.bsky.social · 15h
Let's not forget the Muldoon also met with gangs: "Robert Muldoon, prime minister from 1975 to 1984, had an unusual relationship with the gangs. He believed in engaging with gangs through government-subsidised work schemes to keep people from a life of crime." teara.govt.nz/en/gangs/pag... #NZpol
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Dave Walker @davewalker.bsky.social · 23h
How to pay for parking.
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Tze Ming Mok 莫志明 @tzemingdynasty.bsky.social · 10h
Just saw a reel from one of the husband's apolitical friends, whose kid is one of those affected by the Starship halt on child chemo treatments due to the hiring freeze. She's now an enraged one-woman get-out-the-vote campaign.
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Dr. Cassandra Mudgway @legallyfeminist.bsky.social · 13h
A second petition on smart glasses, this one on the Parliamentary website. If you signed mine on ActionStation, perhaps could you also sign this one? Getting as much people power beind these issues is best!! #nzpol petitions.parliament.nz/0355bf1f-751...
petitions.parliament.nz
Petitions are addressed to the House of Representatives and ask that the House do something about a policy or law, or put right a local or private concern.
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Grant Jacobs BioinfoTools/NotJustDNA 🔬🧬🖥️✍️📚🇳🇿 @notjustdna.bsky.social · 17h
#NZpol Simeon Brown is now trying to soften it, urging people to "think of the parents" (first screen capture). I’ve put up a quick response (second screen capture).
Simeon Brown MP, on Facebook:
 
I wouldn’t normally write a post like this, but what I’ve seen reported this morning would have caused significant unnecessary distress for many families.

A story out today claimed that Starship Hospital has suspended cancer treatment for children. That is not true. No child has had their cancer care suspended.

There have been a small number of nursing vacancies in Starship’s oncology service, which Health NZ advises me have come about through natural attrition, such as parental leave and retirement. 

These vacancies have all now been filled or recruited to. As I have always said, Health NZ is actively recruiting to vacancies and there is no hiring freeze at Health NZ.

Because of these vacancies, a handful of chemotherapy sessions have been delayed by a few days, and never by more than seven, with children with the highest clinical need being prioritised. Two bone marrow transplants have been shifted slightly from their original dates, which happens from time to time even when Starship is fully staffed, and both are still going ahead. Two patients from Taranaki went to Christchurch for assessment. That is how New Zealand’s national child cancer network is set up to work.

Again, no child has had their cancer care suspended.

Some political leaders have shared this story today. Now that the facts are out, I ask them to please consider the families who are already going through the hardest time of their lives and don’t need this added unnecessary worry.My reply -

“I see a few problems with your post.

Starship Hospital director, Dr Greg Williams is quoted as saying, “Starship is recruiting experienced and new graduate nurses as quickly as possible,"

That’s *is recruiting*, i.e. not yet done. That’s not what you say, “These vacancies have all now been filled or recruited to.”

One of the two is incorrect. Given you’re not as close to this as the Director, and have a long track record of disinformation in this campaign, I have to lean in favour of the Director in the meantime.

Pointing at the *loss* of these positions as “natural attrition” tries to slip past the reader that the difficulty of *replacing* them is a reflection of your government’s health funding policies.

Trying to shift all of it to "think of the parents" has you leaving out your part of it. If you want honest discussion, you need to own your part of it, surely.”
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Morgan Johnson @poormojo.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
No joke. I think this is the most important video I have ever seen about mobile games. This guy breaks down how this game psychologically profiles you, and makes the game harder or easier in order to show you ads
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Idiot/Savant @norightturnnz.bsky.social · 17h
Maybe we should start treating politicians meetign with rich people the way the status quo parties treat meeting with gangs. "Barbara Edmunds met with a rich person, so she's totally unsuitable for finance minister"
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Madam Snazzy @moatatamaira.bsky.social · 20h
Surprised to see 2007 me in this article about pay equity but just to add my bit about librarianship, library assistants have degrees if not post-graduate ones and qualified librarians often have a masters degree in library science. It is far from unskilled labour. newsroom.co.nz/2026/10/14/s...
newsroom.co.nz
Shhhh, keyboard warriors – librarians deserve pay equity respect
Comment from Victoria University: Anne Goulding examines how social media backlash against library pay equity claims exposes deep-seated gender biases
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Ethics Girl @ethicsgirl.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
The most life-affirming thread
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Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 14/10/2026
One of the more obvious problems with Act's plan to force beneficiaries on to a "money management" card, with no cash withdrawals allowed, is that it would preclude exactly this kind of economy. They'd have to use the supermarkets, and pay more.
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Dr Sarah Hendrica Bickerton 🏳️‍🌈 @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Leaving aside the wrong-headedness of abstaining on this vote, I'm quite uncomfortable with the fact that our Foreign Minister effectively used this UN vote for populist politicking ends of his own party in election campaigning, instead of putting country ahead of party as a professional should do.
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Russell Brown @publicaddress.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Just to note that both the TVNZ Archives and the National Film Unit Collection are managed by ... Getty Images.
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Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
"By the mid-2000s, the Web 2.0 economy had begun to roll back the web’s openness, shepherding people into using platforms such as Blogger, YouTube, & Facebook. The priesthood was back, & the wealthy tech giants served as its bishops. AI programming does not challenge that power. It entrenches it."
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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Sometimes you need to give people who've done something fucking idiotic an excuse to change their mind. ESPECIALLY if you warned them it was fucking idiotic. And if it was an emotive choice. you have to decide whether you value them walking it back over catharsis. Applies in work, love or Brexit.
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Matt @matteastnz.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
I don’t want to hear about tax cuts or surpluses until our hospitals are operating normally, our fire service has the equipment needed to save life’s, woman are paid equal, teachers, nurses et al are paid what they are worth, and no child goes hungry, no matter their situation. End of story. #NZPol
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Tom @kiwiteej.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
In point of fact, Brian Easton has an excellent summary of how this all comes together here, which unfortunately hasn't got that much traction elsewhere... www.interest.co.nz/economy/1404...
interest.co.nz
The Ministry of Miscellaneous Affairs
Brian Easton says the Department of Internal Affairs is a broad catch-all for services and programmes that the Government doesn’t know where else to house
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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 11/10/2026
Hi, I’m a sighted alt text user! Here are some reasons I use it: - Slow Internet on an airplane - I’m over 40, I have no idea who that celebrity is - Bluesky broke images again - My vision sucks and that text is too small to read otherwise - Conveys further context and authorial intent
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Dimitri LH @dimitrilh.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
since the artist was never credited, ill post it here: She is on FB/Instagram as Andreaanimates She is also on Youtube as Andrea Love Here is the waffle video from her channel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbSq... PLEASE CREDIT THE ARTIST, ALWAYS!
youtube.com
FELT STOP MOTION Breakfast Compilation
YouTube video by Andrea Love
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Digital Brain @yourdigitalbrain.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
This entire animation is made from felt, moved millimeter by millimeter and shot frame by frame for every second you see.
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Funranium (AKA Phil Broughton) @funranium.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Every community manager/mod in the world read this story, raised an eyebrow, and realized there was another solution to their bot problem.
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Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Sorry, I'll explain. We currently react to inflation by reducing the disposable income of spenders so that demand falls and unemployment goes up. We use a bufferstock of unemployed people to keep workers desperate, so wages are suppressed and we don't get a feedback loop (wage 🔄 prices) [🧵 1/n]
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Louise Hutt @saycheeselouise.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
One thing I try to do, every time I talk to men, is make sure they understand how pay equity works Overwhelmingly because if you want to be a good feminist or ally, this is a chance to speak up about women's financial freedom - but also because they're often shocked to learn IT ALSO EFFECTS MEN
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Anna McMartin/The End is Naenae @annamcmartin.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
A troubling tale has a troubling sequel. Be aware some of the language quoted in this post is offensive. I’ve left it uncensored because I want readers to make their own judgements about the character of the people I’m quoting. the-end-is-naenae.ghost.io/first-do-no-...
the-end-is-naenae.ghost.io
First do no harm
A troubling tale has a troubling sequel. Be aware some of the language quoted in this post is offensive. I’ve left it uncensored because I want readers to make their own judgements about the character...
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Musical Chairs @musicalchairs.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Oh dear, this is awful. A heady mix of ill-informed and untrue. Let's have a quick run through the lowlights... First, when we do get some articles about the rest of the balance sheet, Brucey? Govt's *positive* net financial worth? Business debt? Household debt? No? Why? [🧵1/n]
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Psychopomp @psychopomp.com · 09/10/2026
hello, I am doing some research and would like to tap into the collective brains of BSKY: 1. can you share some genre or literary fiction magazines that have closed and the archive is NO LONGER ONLINE 2. the same but the archives remain online FOR NOW i would also appreciate RTs for awareness 💀
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Micah @rincewind.run · 08/10/2026
the reason “AI will create so much abundance we will have a utopian society” rhetoric falls so flat is that the people building it will never, ever share their bounty unless it is taken from them and we all know it
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Eric Levai @ericlevai.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Now THIS is how you write a story. Devastating.
Screenshot from this article: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/08/us/politics/fort-hood-execution-streamed-public.html?unlocked_article_code=1.HVE.Rw7O.Sj-0_s5YONzL&smid=nytcore-android-share
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Kimimi🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ @kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com · 09/10/2026
Anyway, here's an article on a better D&D adventure (and proof the tech's not the problem): kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/2025/03/28/p...
kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com
Pool of Radiance: Deep as a well, bright as morning dew
Plenty of RPGs dump me right in the middle of somewhere new and expect me to get on with it, but few really convey the experience of being a bewildered adventurer trying to find their way around a …
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Chantalle Smith @chaneyz85.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Hearing National say those with “mild or moderate” mental health issues shouldn’t be on the benefit… My Mum had a break down. It took her 4 years to recover to the point she could be employed again. These changes would force someone like her to get into work quicker or have their benefit cut 🤬
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Marsden @marsdennz.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
"Chris and Minami ... heard about the library’s Creative Space from another ... designer. The space is a non-commercial facility designed for prototyping, crafting, learning new technologies, and media production." #BoardGame #Library #CreativeSpace #Tūranga www.newsline.ccc.govt.nz/news/story/b...
newsline.ccc.govt.nz
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Ciara 🇳🇿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪 @ciaraarmstrong.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Wish I could talk to Chlöe or Marama for 5 mins. Just wanna let them know if they form a government, & during negotiations they made getting rid of relationship means testing for the permanently disabled/chronically ill a non negotiable, & got it across the line, it would change my life. #nzpol
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Louise Hutt @saycheeselouise.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Death threats are more than just trolls and keyboard warriors - they seek to make people smaller, make them afraid to speak their values, and push them out of politics altogether They cost us time and money, and the donations are already stacked against us. It's time for us to have a real democracy
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Funranium (AKA Phil Broughton) @funranium.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Object Permanence cannot be taken for granted in the electorate.
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Elizabeth Knox @elizabethknoxnz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
This, on the other hand, is ac happening, and is miraculous www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
theguardian.com
Gene therapy can partly restore sight in blind people, researchers reveal
Optogenetic therapy, based on Nobel prize-winning science, involves turning nerve cells on and off using light
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Marsden @marsdennz.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
"“And for her that was just the beginning! She went on to become an entrepreneur and remained on the cutting edge of systems software throughout an extraordinary career, while acting as an advocate, mentor, and inspiration to millions.”" #MargaretHamilton #WomenInSTEM
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Marsden @marsdennz.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"...Labour is promising to “restore pay equity” if elected, dismantling the coalition government’s changes. ..., the policy includes an “immediate” pay rise of $4 an hour for 65,000 care and support workers... The Greens also backed a rewind..." #NZPol #PayEquity thespinoff.co.nz/politics/07-...
thespinoff.co.nz
Pay equity's back in the spotlight for the election – here's what you need to know | The Spinoff
Labour and the Greens have pledged to rewind the government’s controversial changes. How did we get here?
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Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The government and the reserve bank colluded to deliberately raise unemployment to address inflation. The government is now raining misery on the people it helped push out if jobs. Six month stand down will uncomplicatedly make people homeless. Old fashioned beneficiary bashing.
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John Bull @garius.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Having one of those days where i need to gently and repeatedly remind my developers that "functional" needs to happen before you get to do "shiny".
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D Jukic She/her @dejanajuk.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Replay: New Zealand was once a world leader on pay equity. Dame Marilyn Waring explains how the government wound back decades of progress – and why the fight to properly value women’s work is far from over. #nzpol
publicinterest.nz
Marilyn Waring on how New Zealand went backwards on pay equity
New Zealand was once a world leader on pay equity. Dame Marilyn Waring explains how the government wound back decades of progress – and why the fight to properly value women’s work is far from over. ...
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David Slack @davidslack.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
www.davidslack.net/the-stations...
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@burnettaotearoa @burnettaotearoa.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Some fantastic news for HIV prevention in Aotearoa. From 1 Dec (World AIDS Day), publicly funded PrEP and PEP will be available to everyone in the country who needs it, regardless of visa status. It's a win for common sense & evidence-based policy. 💊🌈 www.burnettfoundation.org.nz/articles/new...
burnettfoundation.org.nz
Free HIV preventive treatment for all in Aotearoa
As of December 1, publicly funded medication and their associated tests will be available to all on Aotearoa soil.  This means that HIV prevention tools are available to all in New Zealand, regardless...
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Paul Brislen @brislen.nz · 06/10/2026
Haven't read the story yet but I want to address the photo. I see a lot of this (young, urban, stylish and FEMALE) and yet the users are largely men. It's like when the cigarette companies discovered they could market to women and opened up a massive new way con people into buying their product.
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Dr Lucy Rogers @drlucyrogers.com · 05/10/2026
Need a senior engineer in #Aotearoa New Zealand - but not enough to justify sending someone over? I’m available for short engineering assignments. I’m good at practical eng., unusual environs, prototypes, mfg & troubleshooting. Need a trusted pair of technical eyes & ears? Contact me!
Woman in a gold jacket and a drill in her hand.
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Catherynne M. Valente @catvalente.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
I don’t care where you started out on the political spectrum If your kid comes out as trans & you don’t become a rainbow-clad, parade-cheering ally & rock-solid supportive girl/boy/enby dad/mom? You were never a parent at all You were a doll collector furious they didn’t stay in their packaging.
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Jessica Price @delafina777.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
This should be so obvious that it doesn’t need to be said, but given what kind of weekend it’s been on here, apparently it does: If you don’t want old rapists running the world, in office, in the board room, making decisions for all of us get comfortable with “ruining” young rapists’ lives
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Paul Brislen @brislen.nz · 04/10/2026
I first came across Tom and his writing through The Bear who was the most magnificently soulful of all the internet cats. He's push towards art enabler is... sublime. Literally. He has transcended.
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Andy McKay @korimakoecology.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
I've had a quick skim through this and there is a huge number of things to think about. 1. Relationships are critical. Still way too much helicopter decision making. 2. Peers are trusted. Which goes to Point 1. re relationships. 3. Much of the distrust can be traced back to economic incentives.
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Catherynne M. Valente @catvalente.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
You know, it’s funny. During the Lindsey Clancy case, I saw so much fury & threats to *take our voting rights* over “women” defending her but very little actual defending beyond “PPP is real so maybe NGRI.” But I sure do see a TON of actual extremely passionate defending of the Cornell 57.
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